sustento

sustenance

noun soos-TEN-toh Rare

Origin: from Latin sustentum, from sustinere 'to sustain'

Also means

livelihood

Usage Note

Sustento can mean both physical nourishment and the means of supporting oneself or one's family financially. Ganarse el sustento means to earn one's living. It is more formal than comida for food, and more concrete than apoyo for support.

Examples

"El campo era el único sustento de la familia."

Natural Translation

The farmland was the family's only livelihood.

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